1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a file processing apparatus (computer) for subjecting one or more data files stored on a storage medium to a process, and in particular to a user interface portion thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Microsoft Windows™ (95, 98, NT, etc.), which is widely used as an operating system for personal computers, it is possible to subject data files such as image files and text files (in the following referred to simply as “files”) to predetermined processes (for example deleting, moving, displaying, reproducing, mailing, etc.) by dragging and dropping the icons. That is to say, when the user wants to subject a predetermined file to a predetermined process, the user can drag and drop the file's icon for example with a mouse onto a process icon. Furthermore, in Windows, it is also possible to process at once (together) a plurality of files in the same folder by dragging and dropping a plurality of files in the same folder together onto one process icon.
In various software programs executable on Windows, it is also possible to display the content of files as thumbnails (miniature images). Using such icons displayed as thumbnails, mistakes, such as the erroneous processing of the wrong file, can be prevented, and files can be selected while comparing their contents.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 6-19669 (1994) discloses a technology for easily comparing files when processing icons by dragging and dropping, using icons in which the file contents are displayed as thumbnails.
However, these conventional technologies pose the following problems:
In Windows, for example, when it is not necessary to display all icons for a plurality of files in one folder, it may be necessary to scroll the window to select a plurality of files, and in this case, it is very difficult to compare and examine, even when the contents of the files are displayed as thumbnails.
Also, in Windows, there is the problem that it is not possible to simultaneously select files spanning a plurality of folders. To subject files spanning a plurality of folders to the same processing, the same processing has to be repeated for each of those folders, which can be very troublesome.
Furthermore, it is not possible to drag and drop selected files onto a plurality of icons, and when subjecting the same files to two or more processes, selecting the files and dragging and dropping them has to be repeated for each of those processes, because the selection information for those files is lost once the files have been processed by dragging and dropping.
The same problems also exist for the invention disclosed in the aforementioned JP-A 6-19669.